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Hi everyone,

 

I really need an advice.

I want to set up my Winback Flow and Sunset Flow and cant decide on timing.

Flows to purchasers

  1. When should The client enter the Winback and Sunset flow?

I am B2B and what bothers me is rather long time between orders which is 341 days.

In my understanding first I should be sending a Winback Flow and then in case of a total inactivity the person should enter Sunset flow and later on be suppressed. (please correct me if I am wrong)

My question is when should the client enter those flows.

It looks logical to wait 350 days or so, but it’s a year and I read recommendations to start Sunset flow after 180 days of inactivity. So if the client is inactive and enters Sunset flow after 180 days and then I suppress it I am loosing a sale but if I wait till 350 days then I have a lot of unengaged subscribers.

  1. Who should enter Winback Flow?

The segments I am debating:

  1. Subscribers who are active: opens or clicks emails or views products or active on site for the last x(?) days
  2. Subscribers who opens or clicks emails and don not active on website (no product views or active on site) for the last x(?) days
  3. ?

First Purchase Anniversary Flow

As the time between purchases is almost a year I decided to set up a First purchase anniversary flow as an alternative to Winback Flow. This one sounds not so salesly to me (though, I am not sure if it’s right decision and if I have set it up correctly and using for right purpose.)

This flow sends 6 months anniversary email (3 email sequence) to inactive subscribers who were not active with emails and website for 6 months after their first purchase with 10% discount code as I do not want to offer a discount to active subscribers while they are not lapsed purchasers. (It was only 0.03% out of all subscribed purchasers so far)

After 1 year I split subscribers to those who made only 1 purchase and more than one.

Now I send an email only to those who did not purchased again and offer 10% discount for 1 week only. I don’t have any filters to this email except can receive email marketing. This Anniversary email person can receive once only. 

I see 37.5%-39.5% open rate from 3 emails sent during one week. 2.6% click rate for the first email with no clicks for the second and the third (maybe too little people yet?)

 

Second question is regarding non-purchasers.

These subscribers will not enter the Winback Flow obviously but should they enter a Sunset flow after 180 days of inactivity? And who these subscribers should be - inactive with emails only or inactive with the brand (emails+website).

 

For clarification I offer 10% discount and a couple of PDF’s for the subscription and send emails 2 times per week.

 

I have read so many articles but just cannot find an advice on my situation as everywhere is referred to 90-180 days. I do not know if I am thinking too complicated but just cannot figured out how these flows should work together. 

Thank you in advance for anyone who will share their expertise with me!

Hi @Lina ,
 

You're thinking through the timing and segmentation of your Winback and Sunset Flows thoughtfully. Given your specific situation—long purchase cycles and a B2B context—here’s how you might approach it:

Timing for Flows

  1. Winback Flow Timing:

    • When to Start: Since your average purchase cycle is 341 days, it makes sense to initiate your Winback Flow before reaching that period. You might consider starting the Winback Flow around 300 days of inactivity. This allows you to engage with them before they become too disengaged.
    • Flow Details: The Winback Flow could include a series of reminder emails, special offers, or content tailored to their previous purchases. If they don't engage, you can move them to the Sunset Flow.
  2. Sunset Flow Timing:

    • When to Start: For B2B with long sales cycles, waiting until 350 days might be more appropriate to avoid prematurely dropping potential leads. After your Winback Flow (around 300 days of inactivity), if there’s still no engagement, transition them to the Sunset Flow.
    • Suppression: Suppress them after they’ve been in the Sunset Flow for a specified period, like 30 days, if they still don’t engage. Adjust this period based on the typical length of your sales cycle and how long it takes for inactive leads to become completely cold.

Winback Flow Segmentation

  1. Active Subscribers Who Aren’t Purchasing:

    • Segment to Include: Subscribers who are active in opening emails or engaging with content but have not made a purchase in the past X days (e.g., 300 days).
  2. Inactive Subscribers:

    • Segment to Exclude: Subscribers who have been inactive in both emails and website interactions should be prioritized for the Winback Flow. If they’re only inactive on the website but still engaging with emails, you might need to adjust your approach or offers.

First Purchase Anniversary Flow

  1. Flow Structure:

    • Your idea of sending an anniversary email 6 months after the first purchase is sound. The 3-email sequence with a discount is a good strategy. Given your current open and click rates, it might take a bit more time to see the effectiveness, but keep an eye on these metrics to adjust if needed.
  2. 1-Year Follow-Up:

    • Splitting by purchase history (one-time vs. repeat buyers) is a solid approach. Offering a discount to non-repeating buyers after a year can be effective, but consider tweaking this if you see better results from different approaches.

Non-Purchasers and Sunset Flow

  1. Non-Purchasers:

    • Timing: Non-purchasers who are inactive in both email and website interactions should enter the Sunset Flow after 180 days of inactivity. This can help in managing your list and focusing efforts on more engaged leads.
  2. Inactive Engagement:

    • Segment to Include: Consider including those who are inactive with both emails and website in your Sunset Flow. This helps you focus on truly disengaged subscribers and avoid wasting resources on them.

Hope this helps!

 


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